Paul Chapman gets new contract with Essendon

Sports Writer

Pull the tripper ... Paul Chapman will get a new contract. Photo: Pat Scala

Triple-premiership veteran Paul Chapman has guaranteed himself a contract with Essendon for next year after hitting a trigger point in the deal he signed following his departure from Geelong.

Delisted by the Cats somewhat contentiously, the 2009 Norm Smith medallist returned to playing under coach Mark Thompson this season with a clause in his contract that granted an extension provided he played a certain number of games.

Essendon would not confirm the number – Fairfax Media understands it was 15, although in deals of this nature games missed can actually be counted provided the player is rested – but the club confirmed Chapman had recently reached the mark.

Chapman’s 21-possession game against the Swans on Friday night was his 15th in red and black, and he again provided influence and experience for the Dons, albeit in a 22-point loss.

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The 266-game player turns 33 in September and will then look to a 16th year playing senior footy.

Chapman managed just eight games for the Cats last year after being beset by hamstring complaints. But he kicked four goals and had 20 touches in his last outing for his old side; a winning semi-final that he played a significant hand in turning.

At Essendon, Thompson has clearly backed the player he knows intimately and Chapman had immediate impact. He booted four goals on debut for his new club, which instantly endeared him to the Bomber faithful. Chapman repeated the feat in round three.

Though he has only kicked multiple goals in one match since - against Collingwood in round 17 – Chapman has been a consistent ball winner this season, averaging 20 touches a match. His hardness and wise head in an emerging team has also been valued at Essendon.

The investment in the elder statesman has proved a particularly happy one for the Dons, given Chapman cost the club nothing in the draft.

It was just the kind of luck Essendon hoped for, given it was removed from the first two rounds of last year’s draft as part of an AFL sanction concerning the club’s involvement in an ongoing anti-doping inquiry.

Chapman and Dustin Fletcher are the only premiership players on the Bombers' list.

Contracts with extension options such as the one Chapman signed with Essendon are commonly reached with ageing players or those who are in and out of sides. The rationale is that they provide a level of security for players but also a degree of insurance for clubs.